By Agencies and published by CNA
TOKYO – A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan on Monday (April 20), Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, issuing a tsunami warning for waves up to 3m in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures.
The quake which hit at 4.53 p.m. local time (2.53pm Thailand time) in Pacific waters off northern Iwate prefecture was 10km deep and strong enough to shake large buildings as far as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres away.
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Japan’s history with earthquakes
Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting atop four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
The archipelago typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.
Most tremors are minor. But Japan has also endured some of the world’s most powerful quakes – most notably the magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake in 2011, which triggered a devastating tsunami. About 18,500 people were killed, and the disaster led to a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima plant.
In 2024, the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its first special advisory of a possible “megaquake” along the Nankai Trough.
Government estimates suggest such a quake and the resulting tsunami could kill up to 298,000 people and cause as much as US$2 trillion in damage.
Although the advisory was lifted after a week, it sparked widespread concern – triggering panic buying of staples like rice and prompting some travellers to cancel holiday plans.
Shinkansen services affected
The operator of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train said the service has been suspended between Tokyo Station and Shin-Aomori Station.
It was halted because of the earthquake.
How strong was the quake?
The earthquake that struck off northeastern Japan measured magnitude 7.5 – a major quake capable of causing serious damage, especially near its epicentre.
It was also relatively shallow, at a depth of about 10km. Shallow quakes tend to produce stronger shaking at the surface, increasing the risk of damage and making them more likely to generate tsunamis.
In Japan, the tremor registered an “upper 5” on the country’s seismic intensity scale. Unlike magnitude, which measures the energy released, this scale reflects how strongly the ground shakes in specific locations.
An “upper 5” level means the shaking is strong enough to make it difficult for people to move around without holding onto something. Furniture can topple, and weaker structures – such as unreinforced walls – may collapse.
Crisis management team
The prime minister’s office said it had set up a crisis management team.
“For those of you who live in areas for which the warnings have been issued, please evacuate to higher, safer places such as higher ground,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters.
She added that the government was trying to confirm whether there were any casualties or property damage.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page – A television screen shows a news report on Japan Meteorological Agency’s tsunami warning, saying it expected tsunami waves of up to 3m to reach large coastal areas in northern Japan after an earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, in Tokyo, Japan on April 20, 2026. Photo: Reuters/Issei Kato and published by CNA
Insert – A tsunami warning was issued after an earthquake hit northern Japan. Image: Japan Meteorological Agency and published by CNA
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